Category Archives: Steve O’Connell

Labour councillors defy Scott over Queen’s Hotel expansion

WALTER CRONXITE, our political editor, on an against-the-odds victory for residents over the council’s planning machine For the second time in little more than six months, councillors sitting on Croydon’s planning committee have thrown out proposals for a giant-scale redevelopment … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Felicity Flynn, Jason Perry, Oni Oviri, Parking, Pat Ryan, Paul Scott, Pete Smith, Planning, Queen's Hotel, Scott Roche, Simon Brew, South Norwood, Steve O'Connell, Steve Reed MP, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

MP Jones to speak against Addiscombe Road flats scheme

Our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, reports on cross-party opposition to a property speculators’ multi-million-pound scheme that could change the exclusive Whitgift Estate forever Sarah Jones, Croydon Central’s Labour MP, will tomorrow night speak out at a Town Hall meeting against … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Housing, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Parking, Paul Scott, Pete Smith, Planning, Property, Queen's Hotel, Sadiq Khan, Sarah Jones MP, Steve O'Connell, Tony Newman, Vidhi Mohan, Wayne Lawlor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The race to replace ‘Silent’ Steve O’Connell has already begun

Just when you thought it was safe to go out on to the streets without risk of being button-holed by political activists, WALTER CRONXITE reports that preparations are already being made for the next round of elections Weekend reports that … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, 2021 London elections, Heidi Alexander, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Paul Scully MP, Sadiq Khan, Steve O'Connell, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More calls for TfL officials to face questions over tram crash

A public transport safety campaigner has called for a former Transport for London director to be called in for questioning over his handling of a safety audit on the tram network following the 2016 crash at Sandilands. The report was … Continue reading

Posted in London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sandilands derailment, Steve O'Connell, TfL, Tramlink, Transport | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Palace pile on the election pressure over planning application

Crystal Palace Football Club are determined to get planning permission to build their £100million new stand, and yesterday staged an on-pitch stunt in a show of defiance to the local council, getting loyal fans on-side just as local elections are … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, London Assembly, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Selhurst, Steve O'Connell, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More police cuts on the way as borough commands merge

Another raft of police reorganisation has been announced and, like all such re-organisations, the change is not to make the service better, just cheaper. For once, there seems to be cross-party unanimity over the proposals, as no party appears to … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Crime, Jeff Boothe, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Policing, Sadiq Khan, Steve O'Connell, Sutton Council, Tom Brake MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

O’Connell puts himself up for questions from Purley Guild

Steve O’Connell is the guest speaker tomorrow at the Purley and District Townswomen’s Guild. O’Connell is expected to speak about his work as the London Assembly Member for Croydon and Sutton. So don’t expect the talk to last very long. … Continue reading

Posted in Kenley, London Assembly, Purley, Purley and District Townswomen's Guild, Steve O'Connell | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Former Met officer accuses PM of having ‘blood on her hands’

This is a television news interview you’re unlikely to see re-run in full on any major news channel any time soon. After four young men were killed on New Year’s Eve in our city, Sky News conducted this interview with … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Knife crime, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Policing, Steve O'Connell | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Licensing changes are halted over bashment ban concerns

Council plans to alter its licensing policy in the town centre, after several years of strictly applying rules which discouraged new bars, night clubs and pubs to open, failed to get past the first hurdle of last week’s committee meeting … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Business, Callton Young, Croydon Council, David Wood, Jane Avis, Jo Negrini, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Pubs, Sadiq Khan, Steve O'Connell | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Silent’ Steve O’Connell scores own-goal with Palace punditry

It’s a question which many Town Hall observers ask, but few manage to answer satisfactorily: just what does “Silent” Steve O’Connell do for the near-£80,000 a year he pockets from being a local councillor and London Assembly Member? Well yesterday … Continue reading

Posted in Crystal Palace FC, Football, Kenley, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Policing, Roy Hodgson, Steve O'Connell | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council planners ignore Queen’s Hotel objections from MP

Croydon Council’s planning department has gone against the views of two MPs, a pair of London Assembly Members, elected councillors and hundreds of angry residents, and has recommended approval of a monstrous expansion of the historic Queen’s Hotel on Church … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fiona Twycross, History, London Assembly, Planning, South Norwood, Steve O'Connell, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Taxi for Philp! Tory MP exposes his business agenda

JEREMY CLACKSON, our transport correspondent, on how Croydon South’s Member of Parliament has stalled on a campaign that ignores the safety of his constituents No sooner had Transport for London announced the decision to refuse to renew digital taxi firm … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon South, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Policing, Sadiq Khan, Steve O'Connell, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

O’Connell’s 2020 vision is to stand down from City Hall role

WALTER CRONXITE reports on the latest decision by a Tory politician to jump before they get pushed by the electorate Steve O’Connell, the third-rate local politician with the first-rate public allowances income, has decided not to stand for re-election to … Continue reading

Posted in 2021 London elections, Crime, Kenley, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Policing, Steve O'Connell | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Station closures reducing time Coulsdon police spend on patrol

The police in Coulsdon are having to pack up and stop working before 8pm each night – at least in part because it takes them so long to get back to their nearest police station to finalise their paperwork. That’s … Continue reading

Posted in Boris Johnson, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Crime, Kenley, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Policing, Steve O'Connell | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

TfL pushes through bus route changes despite opposition

Transport for London, after running a public consultation which found that a majority of respondents opposed changes to bus routes serving the Purley Way shops and Colonnades, has announced that it will go ahead with its proposals anyway. It means … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Chris Philp MP, Croydon South, Joy Prince, Purley Way, Robert Canning, Steve O'Connell, TfL, Transport, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Assembly Member tells Mayor to bin TfL’s Fiveways scheme

A London Assembly Member has called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to get Transport for London to go back to the drawing board with its latest proposals for the Fiveways junction on the Purley Way and “come back with a set … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Boris Johnson, Caroline Russell, Chris Philp MP, Commuting, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Cycling, Environment, Harris Primary Purley Way, Health, Joy Prince, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Purley Way, Robert Canning, Sadiq Khan, Schools, Steve O'Connell, Stuart King, TfL, Transport, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Newman attacks O’Connell over his Tory cuts to police

Monday night’s council cabinet meeting was the last before the summer break, and it produced a much-needed outbreak of political passion and rhetoric. Political editor WALTER CRONXITE trawled through the webcast so that you don’t have to Tony Newman, the … Continue reading

Posted in Boris Johnson, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Kenley, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Policing, Sarah Jones MP, Steve O'Connell, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

London’s borough leaders make call for more police funding

Tony Newman, the leader of Croydon Council, has joined with the mayors and leaders of 19 other London boroughs to call on the Government to halt the damaging cuts to spending on the Metropolitan Police. Under Tory Boris Johnson as … Continue reading

Posted in Kenley, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Policing, Sadiq Khan, Steve O'Connell, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Commission draws the line under Newman’s bid for control

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on how an effort to shore-up Town Hall power through boundary changes has left Croydon’s Labour leadership even more dependent on Jeremy Corbyn, the party leader many of them tried to oust The Local Government Boundary … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Addiscombe West, Andrew Rendle, Ashburton, Croydon Council, David Wood, Fairfield, Gavin Barwell, Helen Pollard, Kenley, Maddie Henson, Maria Gatland, New Addington South, Paul Scott, Selhurst, South Croydon, Stephen Mann, Steve O'Connell, Sue Winborn, Tim Pollard, Timothy Godfrey, Toni Letts, Tony Newman, Vidhi Mohan, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Five people charged after brutal attack on teenaged refugee

Police investigating the brutal assault on a teenaged refugee in Croydon on Friday night have charged five people in connection with the attack, which has left the asylum seeker in hospital with serious injuries to his head. The group will … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Gavin Barwell, London Assembly, Mayor of London, Policing, Sadiq Khan, Shirley North, Steve O'Connell | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

More questions than answers as Mayor ducks burning issue

JONNY BROGDALE reports on an unsatisfactory exercise organised by City Hall that was more about justification than any real accountability The People’s Question Time session with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, staged in Carshalton on Thursday night, offered a couple of … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Jessica Crowe, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Nick Mattey, Policing, Ruth Dombey, Sadiq Khan, Sian Berry, Steve O'Connell, Sutton Council, TfL, Tim Crowley, Tramlink, Transport, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Piles and stools: a typical night out with Croydon’s Tories

If there were any lingering doubts over the real reasons for the Croydon Tories’ continued hostility to having a gypsy and traveller camp at Purley Oaks – or, indeed, at any site proposed in the borough – then the presence … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Chris Philp MP, Gareth Streeter, Gavin Barwell, Mario Creatura, Richard Chatterjee, Selsdon & Ballards, Steve O'Connell | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Tory O’Connell gets it wrong on Commissioner’s retirement

Not for the first time, City Hall figures are asking whether Croydon’s representative, Steve O’Connell, is up to the task as a London Assembly member. O’Connell yesterday made a desperate grasp for some political capital over the retirement announcement of … Continue reading

Posted in Boris Johnson, Crime, Croydon 8/8, Kenley, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Policing, Sadiq Khan, Steve O'Connell | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Assembly Member’s lunch at the Hilton excludes smaller firms

Steve O’Connell, the very well-paid London Assembly Member for Croydon and Sutton, clearly has no belief in the old adage that “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”. The elected representative is the star turn at a local business … Continue reading

Posted in 2016 London elections, 2018 council elections, Business, Croydon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kenley, Planning, Steve O'Connell | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Croydon’s silly season stats which do not stand up to scrutiny

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The infamous maxim that if you repeat a lie often enough it becomes the truth has flourished in Croydon this week. STEVEN DOWNES is just glad the silly season is over Thank goodness it’s September. I wouldn’t usually … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon 8/8, Croydon Advertiser, Croydon Council, Evening Boris, Jon Rouse, Mayor of London, Mike Fisher, Sadiq Khan, Steve O'Connell, Tech City, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment